Important Dates 2012-13 Schedule Released

The schedule makers have given the Jets a home season opener for their second straight year in the league. Fans will have to wait a few days longer this year with the first game coming on Saturday, October 13. Some bad news for Jets fans though as their only match up against Teemu Selanne’s Anaheim Ducks (should he return as it’s looking like he will) comes on Sunday, February 24 in Anaheim. The Oilers are the lone Canadian team not making an MTS Centre appearance this year which of course means that Calgary (Feb 28) and Vancouver (Feb 9) will get to play true road games against the Jets this year not just in front of ex-Winnipegers in their home barns like last year.

Favoured Winnipeg son Jonathon Toews will bring his Chicago Blackhawks to the Hangar for the second game of the season Tuesday, October 16. Some more bad luck though for the Jets as they drew three Central teams as the Western Conference teams they had to play twice this year, Detroit (Oct. 27/Apr. 5), St. Louis (Feb. 5/Feb. 17) and Columbus (Dec. 17/Jan. 8 ). They went 0-3 against those teams last year despite Columbus finishing with the worst record in the league. The good news is the Jets faithful will get their first look at Detroit in Winnipeg on Saturday, October 27 since the 1996 version of the Wings eliminated the Jets in game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup finals and sent the team to the desert.

Winnipeg’s longest home stand during the regular season is five games beginning on January 11, when they host the Stanley Cup finalist New Jersey Devils, and concluding on January 19 versus the Ottawa Senators. The team will take to the road for a season-high six consecutive games beginning November 17 visiting the Boston Bruins and ending November 27 in Buffalo. There are three other road trips that consist of 5 straight games on the road while the Jets only have two other home stands of four consecutive games. The regular season schedule wraps up on the road in Ottawa against the Senators on Saturday, April 13.

More importantly to most Jets fans, the Jets will play 12 times (Flyers, Rangers, Leafs, Penguins, Penguins, Sabres, Devils, Ducks, Devils, Capitals, Islanders, Flyers) back to back this season with likely the hardest stretch for them being in December playing seven games between December 10 through December 21 including three back to back games. Last year December was the Jets best month but with this stretch it is unlikely to repeat itself this year.

March is the busiest month for the Jets as they’ll play 15 games over the 31 day span (Oct-7, Nov-13, Dec-13, Jan-13, Feb-14, March-15, Apr-7). The best news for the Jets is a much better balanced schedule when it comes to home and road games.

The annual New Year’s Eve game returns with Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning being the guests this year. There will be no Minnesota road trips this year as the Wild’s only regular season game against the Jets comes on Wednesday, January 2. The Phoenix Coyotes will be in town Monday, February 11 avoiding a trip to the desert this season. As for the Stanley Cup Champions Winnipeg will visit Hollywood on Saturday, Feb 23.

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Jeff Stevenson is a co-founder of winnipegwhiteout.com and co-host of the popular Jets Hockey Podcast. He grew up in Winnipeg, MB and became very passionate about sports, hockey and the Jets. Now Jeff is proud and honored to help bring news and information about the Winnipeg Jets to fans around the world.